Sunday, February 26, 2006
--
Aevylain Reds v.s. Raffles Rangers
1 - 2
Another controversial match ended with the
Reds losing 2 - 1 to the
Raffles opposition. With several players missing, the midfield was threadbare and a toothless attack resulted in yet another loss, the team's second in three games. With just 1 point from a possible 9, and the increasing speculation over the continued presence of midfield kingpin Shawal, the
Reds found themselves on the backfoot for the entire 90 minutes. After 30mins of sustained pressure, the Jonathan of the Rangers was sent tumbling in the box as he raced goalwards after picking up a through pass played to him. The 'keeper raced out to collect but sent the striker tumbling as he cut past him, a clear infringement that resulted in a penalty. Neatly put away, it gave the Rangers a much deserved lead which was consolidated just before half time after a strike down the right flank found its way into the back of the net.
2 goals to the good, the Rangers were caught off guard in the second half when the
Reds blitzed attack after attack, turning up the tempo of the game in search of a comeback. With Ivan switching to 'keeper and Fadli taking on outfield responsibility, the move looked to have at least provided some cover in the midfield region. Racing into the box, the 'keeper-turned-midfielder found himself floored by a horrendous challenge, earning a penalty which Zhenghan converted from the spot with a deft chip. 2 - 1 and with every chance of a fightback, the
Reds found themselves unable to find that elusive second goal which would at least salvage the respectability of a draw. The Rangers contented themselves with sitting deep and hitting on the counter, a tactic which almost succeeded if not for several spectacular saves from the substitute 'keeper. Ending 2 - 1, in favour of the Rangers, the result was by and large a fair one giving the
Reds something to mull over before their next encounter.
Man of the Match: Jonathan Lau
| The Reds Scored @ 11:01 PM|
__________
Sunday, February 19, 2006
--
Aevylain Reds V.S. Air Force United
2 - 2
Coming back off the recent defeat, and a defeat by such a large margin, at the hands of Ghim Moh Alumni, was never going to be an easy task but one that the Reds pulled off gloriously. Dominating the game from start to finish against more seasoned opposition, the most suprising thing at the end of the match was likely to be the scoreline given that the
Reds had several goals denied them due to dubious offside calls. Given the lack of proper match officiating, however, it is a scoreline that the
Reds are willing to accept only because they firmly knew who were the victors of Marina South Pitch 2 on the 18th of February 2006.
With the skipper starting his first game for the
Reds since the 15th of October, the defensive partnership between the two centerbacks was finally restored. With star striker Wong Keng also returning from injury, the
Reds looked a rejuvenated side, boosted by the return of the 2 senior squad members. Barring an early defensive slip up which saw the challengers, AFU, going 1 - 0 up within the opening 5 minutes, the
Reds dominted the other 85 mintues of play replying almost instantly with a strike from forward Gabriel to restore parity. Between the second half dynamite strike by left winger Andrew to give the
Reds a 2 - 1 lead, and the first goal, various other goals were ruled as offside in what can only be described as questionable referreeing. A late offside equalizer, somehow standing when it should have been obviously disallowed, salvaged what would have been a humiliating defeat for AFU.
Man of the Match:
Russell Kang
The substitute striker emulated the fighting spirit of the Reds
and never let up for even a moment. Putting in countless challenges
and taking his chances (scoring and subsequently having his goals
disallowed) has earned him this Man of the Match Award. On a day
that that every member of the squad was on form, the youngster
definitely let his quality show.
| The Reds Scored @ 5:55 AM|
__________
